Locked
by TveitsBoyfriend
Summary: A shooting scare at William McKinley high causes the Glee Club to be locked in the Auditorium.
1. Chapter 1

**My second Glee fic =D I actually tried to write one like this of the High School Musical variety, years ago on a different account but I got bored, cause, well... the characters are crap compared to this lot.**

**And the way I've written the simultaneous conversations at the beginning is kind of an experiment. Simon Stephens did it in his play Punk Rock (AWESOME read) and when I saw it, it was really cool.**

**Enjoy!**

**(Please...)**

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'Five-hundred-twenty-five-thousand-six-hundred minutes...' Rachel belted out from the front of the stage.

'Puck, man, what's that on the back of your head?' Finn asked cautiously.

'Rachel, you know that song is supposed to be sung by a cast of eight?' Kurt sniffed from where he sat cross legged on the side of the stage.

'Are you raggin' on my 'hawk, man?' Puck shot Finn a warning look.

'Are you suggesting, Kurt, that I do not contain as much talent as the RENT Broadway cast because believe me you, I have MET Adam Pascal, and...'

'No, man, there's something, like, gooey, on the back of your head. Like a huge booger or something but... brown.'

'Honey, get an ass like Taye Diggs, then you can lecture me about the RENT cast.'

'Oh, damn, I missed some. I was making a peanut butter and jelly smoothie and 'cause I'm such a badass I didn't need to put the top on. I guess some of the mixture escaped my wrath.'

'Kurt, do you try to be a stereotypical homosexual male? Cause it certainly sounds like it and - I will tell you this for free! - in the jungle that is high school...'

'Dude, you have issues. Did the badass's mom ground him when she saw what mess he'd made?'

'Rachel! Just cool it. Is it my fault that Taye Diggs is such an exquisite specimen?'

'No, dude, I wouldn't take any of that grounding shit.'

'Okay, so Taye Diggs is rather attractive in his early works but that does not mean that you should put him above someone like me who you already know and love!'

'So what did she do?'

'Oh, I'm not so sure...'

'She, uh, took away my laptop.'

'I'll have you know, Kurt...'

'Wow, good thing you're such a badass.'

Puck grimaced at his best friend and threw a crumpled up piece of paper at him. 'Shut up.' He swung round in the auditorium seat and tried to focus on whatever gayness was going on onstage.

'People!' Rachel held up her hands, halting all conversation. 'Mr. Schuester has given us an hour in here to sort out our next number, which he has already assigned us. Now, I am already fully prepared to take it as a solo and give everyone else a... well-deserved break.'

There was a moment of tense silence before the conversations re-erupted all over the auditorium. Puck suppressed a laugh as he glanced up at the fallen leader. _Man, if she's standing onstage all the time, she shouldn't wear such tiny skirts. Especially not when there are horny Pucks in the audience..._ He shook his head quickly. Forget it.

'Well, you know how it is,' Santana continued, from her seat in the corner, mock-earnestly. 'Boys are only after one thing!'

Brittany leaned in closer. 'And what is that?' She whispered.

Santana rolled her eyes and turned to Quinn. 'Hey, yummy mummy! Give up planning your baby's wardrobe for a sec and help me talk Brittany out of seeing that 40 year old guy.'

'He's not 40! He told me he was 39 and 13 months.' Brittany nodded, satisfied.

Quinn shook her head and got up, marching to the front. 'Hey, Priscilla Queen of the Desert!' she yelled at Kurt, ignoring Rachel. 'Do I even have to be here?'

'Yes!' Kurt responded. 'We are doing the number as a group!'

'We don't have to!' Rachel cut in.

'Yes we-'

'Hey!' Mercedes cut in, peeved at having to leave her conversation with Artie and Tina. 'Why don't we just let white girl do it, man? Then we can leave here!'

'No! Joanne Jefferson hits a high G in this song and I will be damned if I don't get to sing it!' Kurt stamped his foot.

'Screw this.' Quinn said. 'I'm leaving.' She turned and walked over to the double-doors, trying to push them open. They wouldn't budge. She tried again. Nothing. 'Puck!' she called him over irritably. 'These doors won't open.'

Puck, up for anything that would show his badassness, got up and swaggered over to assist her. 'Your weakness amuses me.' He told her in his best Sue Sylvester impression.

'Shut up.' she hit his arm. 'Just get me out of here.'

Puck rolled his eyes and, a little cockily, pushed the door. Nothing happened. He snorted dismissively and tried again. Nothing. He kicked it, hard. It stayed strong, his foot taking the brunt of the force. 'Fffuck- Ah, there's something wrong with the door. Yo, Finn!' He got his friends attention. 'Try that door over there.'

He gestured towards the emergency exit on the other side of the stage. Finn looked confused, as ever, but got up and tried to comply. However, the door, like the first one, would not budge.

'Dude, it won't open!' He yelled across the hall, attracting the attention of the rest of the group, who assembled in a cluster around the front of the stage.

'What do you mean, it won't open?' Rachel said.

'I mean, it won't open.' Finn said. 'Hang on, let me call Mr. Schue.' He got out his cell phone and wandered off.

'Great, with my luck I'll be stuck in here all weekend,' Kurt muttered. 'Aaron Tveit's Facebook will not stalk itself!'

'That's just creepy, dude.' Puck gave him a weird look. Before Kurt could justify his statement, Finn came back over.

'Guys, there's been a shooting scare.' He said, folding his cell phone. 'Mr. Schue said all doors in the school are locked until further notice.'

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**Don't you just love it when you're on Facebook and it's the person you likes birthday and their name is on your homepage all day =D**

**Anyways, I wrote this quickly this morning and I'll probably map out the rest later (Snow day. Not amused.) **

**Please review!**

**XX**


	2. Chapter 2

**You Glee folk are awesome! I'm liking this, I've never had so many reviews for one chapter before! You deserve a round of applause =D**

**That said, an awful lot of you are alerting and not reviewing ='( Even if it's just a word or two, a review would totally brighten my snowy, cold day =D**

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'A- a shooting scare?' Rachel echoed nervously.

'That's what he said.'

'But there hasn't been one of those here since the 80's, when...'

'Yes, we all know what happened in the 80's, Arty.' Quinn said irritably.

'Guys, it's just a scare,' Finn said in forced calm. 'It's not - probably not - anything to be scared about, I mean...'

'So we're locked in here for nothing.' Puck shook his head. 'Just what I need.'

'Just what you need?' Rachel said. 'Alice Ripley is doing a signing twelve miles away after school and I will be _darned_ if I'm going to miss it! I mean, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, people...'

'How do you think I feel?' Kurt put in. 'One Tree Hill...'

Everyone started speaking at once.

'...N-New Fallout Boy album...' Tina.

'...My dad was taking me to...' Arty.

...Sale on at New Look! And...' Mercedes.

'...All such losers!...' Quinn.

'...Totally hot guy...' Santana.

'...my date with Walter!...' Brittany.

'...TONY Award winner, for crying out loud...'

'... Spencer was proposing!...'

'... Pete Wentz guitar solos...'

'... movies with him in the first time in years...'

'... Fifty percent off on scarves...'

'... spending my afternoon with geeks...'

'... an amazing body; he's a swimmer!...'

'... meeting his daughter, she's my age...'

Finn groaned, facepalming. 'Guys!' he yelled, standing up. 'So, yeah, maybe we're stuck in here. Instead of crying about it, we should at least do something?'

'He means stop being such pansy-asses.' Puck cut in. 'Man up!'

'Thanks, man...' Finn said sarcastically. 'Rachel, where's the RENT sheet music?'

'In my backpack.'

'Get it out, dude. We've got a number to put together.'

Rachel nodded, a reluctant smile gracing her face.

'How is putting together a Glee number going to help us in a shootout?' Santana said.

'I guess it won't. But nothing in here will.' Finn said. 'We can at least take our minds off of it?'

'Yeah, RENT is a happy musical, right?' Brittany quipped.

'Totally...' Rachel murmured as she appeared again, holding some music. She raised her voice. 'Okay, everyone get in a line onstage!'

The teenagers began to lazily assemble as Rachel seated herself at the piano.

'Puck,' she said to the dark-haired boy who had taken a seat atop the instrument.

'What?'

'Onstage.'

'I'm fine here, dude. Trying to figure out how not to die here, y'know?'

'Noah –'

'Berry, is this really gonna distract us?'

'It's the only thing we've got.'

Puck looked down at her and felt a twinge of remorse. Her eyes were wide and, as good an actress as she was, she couldn't hide the fact that she was worried. He bit his lip.

'Please.' She added.

He groaned. 'Fine. Gimme.' He took the sheet music she held out to him.

'You can sing Collin's part, since you have the lowest voice.' She said, reverting back to bossy-Rachel.

'Oh, hang on,' she grabbed it back to check something, inadvertantly and distractedly placing her hand over Pucks.

_Crap. What do boys think when you put your hand on theirs? Do they think the same as us? Wait. Stop thinking. Just take your hand off his. Why aren't you moving? Why is he looking at you weirdly?_

'Berry?' he said inquisitively.

'Mmm?' She suddenly regained the power of speech. 'Sorry.' She wrenched her hand away. 'Go ahead.'

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**Short chapter, dude.**

**Things should start getting longer when the story develops but I'm just trying to get it somewhere for now.**

**Reviews are awesome!**

**X**


	3. Chapter 3

**Jeez and crackers! Over a thousand hits? Omigod you guys! You're way too cool.**

**And I have started rewriting everything like CRAZY 'cause I'm scared I'll disappoint you... Waah.**

**How about reassuring me with a review?**

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The RENT sheet music sat scattered atop the piano, a cluster of bags lay dumped by the front of the stage and the group of ten anxious teenagers had assembled themselves in a clumsy circle centre stage.

'I LOVE PANTIES!' Artie yelled from the front of the stage, unknowingly being filmed by Finn, who had administered the dare. The group around him cracked up as he rolled back into his spot, smiling sheepishly.

'You are so immature.' Santana sniffed.

'You're the one playing this damn game,' Puck said. 'It's so... juvenile.'

'I'm surprised you didn't choke on the big word...' Kurt muttered.

'God, you're witty.' Puck replied.

'Artie?' Finn said, trying to get the group back on track. 'Your turn.'

'Okay... Puck. Truth or dare?' Artie continued.

'Truth.'

'Wimp.'

'You wanna say that again?!'

'No! Fine. Truth. Um... Is there a girl in Glee you like... that's _not_ a Cheerio?'

'There is, actually. Wait – no. No-one.'

'Who?' Kurt asked, hungry for some gossip.

'I said no one, fuck it, I was joking. Now can it. Who's next?'

'I am. And can I just point out that we could be in a critical situation here? I completely believe in the use of Showtunes to distract ourselves from the problem but to take something as juvenile and downright stupid as a game of Truth or Dare to calm ourselves down is just silly. Furthermore...' Rachel started a speech as per usual, but without her normal feisty spark and with a bit of a worried look in her eyes.

'Hey, Berry...' Puck said gently, nudging her arm.

'What?' she answered.

'Shut up.'

'Well, that's just rude.'

'Truth or dare?

'Truth.'

'Uh-uh! You can't have two truths in a row!' Mercedes said.

'Since when was that a rule?'

'Since today.' Mercedes retaliated, eager to see Rachel do a humiliating dare.

'But-'

'She picks dare!'

Puck suddenly got a glint in his eye. Something told him he could have some fun with this.

'Okay Ra- er, Berry...' he smirked. 'I dare you to... To take your bra off and hang it on the spotlight!'

'What?'

'You've obviously never had a dare from the master before.' He grinned. 'Do it.'

'No!'

'Do it.'

'No! It's cruel, and sexist and... it's a stupid game anyway!'

'Do it.'

'No!'

Their argument dissolved into meaningless babble as it became more and more heated.

'No! And that is final. This game is over.' She got up and flounced off. Puck, determined to embarrass her, followed.

'Hey,' he gently poked her back.

'What?'

'You owe me a bra.'

'The game is over.' She stood behind the piano and started sorting through the sheet music.

'It's not over until the last dare is completed.'

'That is not the rule! And this is bordering on harassment.'

'Not if you're enjoying it.'

'I'm not! Now just close that Neanderthal mouth!'

Puck remained silent for a moment, but hovered behind her. She paused her sorting, feeling his breath on her neck.

'Puck...'

He placed his hands on her waist and spun her around to face him.

'Noah,' she breathed, distracted by the close proximity of the boy. 'What are you...'

He remained silent, still smirking down at her.

'Noah... _Are you unhooking my bra?' _she tried to push him away. 'That is completely inappropriate!'

'You love it, really,' he teased, hands moving to tickle her.

'Puck! Pu- Noah! Stop!' she giggled helplessly.

'What?' he smiled down at her. 'Are you saying –'

Puck was interrupted by the sound of a gunshot blaring through the building.

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**GASP. Drama.**

**For those across the pond: ****Has anyone here seen HAIR?**

**For those here in merry old England: ****Is anyone seeing HAIR when it opens in London?**

**I can't WAIT.**

**Reviews make me happy! ****And I'm not nagging but this story has 47 alerts! And 18 reviews =(****Let's see if we can beat the record of 11 reviews for a chapter, hmm?**

**I do love you all y'know.**

**X**

**PS: I know Puck was a bit OOC but y'know... My bad.**

**PPS: I have recently turned into a Twitter whore. My username is Lostitatlast - Next to Normal lyrics FTW.**


	4. Chapter 4

**You guys! 24 reviews totally smashes my previous record of 14 =D**

**LET'S BEAT THAT THIS CHAPTER!**

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The shot seemed to halt everything instantaneously. Rachel and Puck froze, Puck still holding Rachel's waist but suddenly in a more protective stance. The general horseplay that had built up in the circle after the game was deemed finished died down immediately too, everyone glancing in different directions as if a masked ninja gunman were about to drop through the ceiling.

'Shit.' Puck whispered, breaking the silence and cueing everyone else's freakouts. The stage was suddenly abuzz with frenzied shouts, people yelling for their cell phones, bursting into tears or hyperventilating. Rachel started trembling, feeling suddenly small and exposed as Puck frowned and walked off, running a hand through his mohawk. 'Dude!' he yelled at Finn over the noise. 'C-call Mr. Schue!' He tried to sound confident as ever but was having trouble keeping face.

Finn nodded shakily. 'Uh-huh...' Finn gently lifted Quinn out of his lap and jogged to get his phone from his backpack. 'Mr. Schuester?' he whispered worriedly into the receiver after Will picked up. 'Did... did anything happen?'

The rest of the group turned their attention to the quarterback as he gasped and fell into a chair. They waited for him to speak after he folded his phone and put it down.

'Finn?' Kurt pressed gently.

'A - a freshman just got shot...' he said quietly. 'This - this shit is serious...' Instead of freaking out as before, the club slowly shared a glance.

'That's not fair...' Brittany whispered, slipping her arm through Santana's. 'That kid...'

'Mmm...' Her best friend murmured. Slowly, and as if prompted by Brittany's heartfelt grieving for the student, the teenagers slowly reassembled in their circle on the stage and shared a minute of silent understanding, various pairs snuggling together. Arty and Tina, Finn and Quinn, Kurt and Mercedes, Santana and Brittany with Puck and Rachel on either side of the group, neither admitting they wanted a cuddle.

'I need to call my dad,' Rachel said suddenly, urgently. She got up and ran to the side, getting out her phone. 'Come on... signal...' She muttered desperately to the phone and the lack of bars. Rachel started manically opening and closing her phone, searching desperately for a signal. 'Stupid - piece of crap!' she threw it across the floor, eyes tearing up as she marched to the lighting desk at the back of the auditorium, claiming the only chair with her back to the rest of the group and head in her hands. The others glanced around at each other for a moment before Puck, the only one of them not snuggled up to someone else, took it upon himself to go and comfort her. He picked up her phone as he walked up, sliding it into his back pocket.

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**RIGHT. Short one. That's cause next there is some Puck/Rachel interaction and I want to save it for its own chapter, since there's a tiny TINY revelation in it...**

**This is where I need the reviews! Basically, I've had an idea for a oneshot but I'm not sure whether or not to post it? It's Puck and Rachel's relationship through the eyes of a Starbucks worker...**

**It sounds crap now.**

**Could you check my profile for a sample and tell me whether or not you'd read it please? MUCHO APPRECIADO.**

**XX**


	5. Chapter 5

**Glenn Coco?**

**FOUR for you Glenn Coco, you go Glenn Coco!**

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The others glanced around at each other for a moment before Puck, the only one of them not snuggled up to someone else, took it upon himself to go and comfort her. He picked up her phone as he walked up, sliding it into his back pocket.

'Berr - Rachel,' he started quietly, standing behind her. He started rubbing her back comfortingly but suddenly all he could feel was her bra strap. He tried perching on the edge of the light desk. 'Ah, shit,' he murmured as his butt hit one of the switches and flooded the hall in light. 'Fu - stupid thing,' he started cursing under his breath as he fumbled around on the desk, trying to turn it off.

After a minute, Rachel silently reached out and turned it off, before curling up in her previous position. Puck sighed and settled for kneeling in front of her. 'Rachel...' he said, slightly awkwardly. 'Uh... We're - we're safe in here, right? If we can't get out they can't get in, and as long as we all just keep together and... well, sane, we'll be fine.' He slowly reached out and took her hand in his, trying to ignore how shitty he was at comforting. 'Rach?' She sniffed and shook her head.

'Puck, I'm scared...' she whispered the final word as though it were a curse. 'I don't think I've ever been this worried...' He squeezed her hand.

'Dude, I know-'

'No,' she shook her head again, wafting strawberry scent into his face. 'You don't know. My - my dad's older brother got killed in the McKinley High shooting in 1986. I know this stuff is real, it _happens_ - and I know my dad will be worried sick, I need to talk to him, he's gonna be thinking the worst! It's not fair! I-'

'Rachel,' He gently interrupted her. 'We're gonna be fine, I promise. Come here...' he pulled her into a hug, gently rubbing her back, avoiding the bra strap area. 'And I swear, if any Roxie Hart shit goes on here I will protect you.' God, he sounded sappy.

'Roxie Hart?' she looked up at him, sniffing. 'You made a musical reference?'

'Yeah, uh, my mom...'

'Of course.' She managed a smile as she stood up. 'Thank you, Puck. Noah.' She slipped her hand into his.

'You're welcome, man. I mean, Rachel.' He squeezed her hand again. 'Oh, uh, here's your cell.'

'Thanks...' She took it and glanced up at him, another soft smile appearing. After a short moment, she looked to the stage, where everyone was still mid-cuddle. 'Uh, I think it might be cold up there-'

'No need to hint, dude. C'mon.' He led her up on to the stage and sat down, pulling her into his lap and planting a quick kiss on top of her head.

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**Most of these chapters are way short =S**

**That's why I upload in such quick succession =D**

**And, another oneshot going up any minute now, not the Starbucks one but a quick one, Puckleberry =D**

**X**


	6. Chapter 6

**I love this archive! Cause with some you may lurve the topic so much but hardly anyone visits =( But Glee is so popular i.e. more reads! Yay!**

**Oh, and the people, obviously. I love you guys.**

**More than 3000 hits yesterday =D And 15 reviews! Yay!**

**Oh, and the reason Puck is such an arsehole... he's stressed and coming to terms with actually feeling something (I couldn't fit this into the story...)**

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Rachel woke with her head on the cold stage floor and Pucks letterman jacket thrown clumsily round her shoulders, unaware that she'd fallen asleep, but suddenly grateful for the rest. She tiredly rubbed her eyes before propping herself up on her elbows and doing a quick scan of the auditorium. Everyone else was asleep. She made to check the time on her phone but didn't get far before she heard a crashing from behind her. She whipped her head round to see Puck trying to force the door open.

'Noah?' she mumbled sleepily. She hadn't had her morning coffee and was in no mood for nonsense. She stood up, pulling the jacket tighter round her (that had nothing to do with Puck's scent on it, it was... warm) and walked over to him. 'Noah?' she asked, flinching as he brought his fist down upon the metal bar that should unlock the door. 'Noah?' he kept damn ignoring her. 'Noah - No- Puck!' she reached out and grabbed his arm. 'What the hell are you doing?'

'What the hell does it look like I'm doing? I'm getting the fuck out of here.'

'Puck, it isn't safe!'

'I don't give a shit! I can take the stupid motherfucker.'

'Puck, what has gotten into you?'

'Survival instinct.'

'Huh? Puck, if you wanted to *survive* you'd stay in here! Like you said when you talked to me...' She bit her lip. 'You were so sweet then. What happened?'

'Nothing happened, I would have said anything to get you to stop blubbing!' By now the rest of the Glee club had woken up and were staring warily at the arguing pair. Rachel, picking up on this, grabbed Puck's wrist and dragged him behind a wall where they couldn't be seen.

'Noah, what is it really?' she asked, leaning on the wall behind her

'What? I just wanna get out of here.'

'Well, why are you being such a tool?'

'I don't know what you mean.'

'I mean yesterday, you were so sweet, and calm, and caring...'

'Alright, don't jizz yourself.'

'Puck!'

'Berry!' he mimicked. She looked hurt, and as if she were about to storm off. 'Jeez...' Puck muttered, before placing his hands on Rachel's shoulders, pushing her against the wall and kissing her deeply. She gasped a little in shock but hesitantly started returning it, ever so slightly before –

'Puck!' she wrenched his hand away from her ass. 'That is completely inappropriate!'

'It shut you up,' he shrugged, licking his lips.

Rachel opened her mouth to lecture him but suddenly couldn't think of anything to say. Oh dear. Instead, she turned sharply and flounced off, yelling to the rest of the club. 'Grab the sheet music, Kurt, get on the piano, everyone we're doing Seasons of Love!' Everyone grumbled at her but knew she was determined so started to assemble. 'From the top, and...!'

'Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes...' The club sang back, with the depressed air of a choir who had just been told they had to sing a Hannah Montana song.

'Guys, that was terrible! Try it again.'

'Hell no, Rachel, you really think this is top of our priorities right now?' Mercedes yelled. 'I'm thinking I'm too distracted to sing, and I'm thinking I'm gonna go write my will or something else relevant to the situation!'

Rachel looked defeated. 'Fine.' She said. 'Fine, screw it. Where's my iPod?'

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**I don't like this chapter =( But I wanted something to happen between Puck and Rachel... It made sense when I planned it!**

**I think I needed something for him to apologise for. Because the slushie facials weren't enough?**

**Don't you hate it when parents make you wait for stuff? It's like "You don't need it now!" BUT I DOOO! Sorry, annoyed at my father =S**

**Reviews are like sugar. But sweeeeter.**

**X**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hola. Love for reviewers. Stern looks for non-reviewers.**

**Under a hundred days 'til I see Hair! Snaps for me!**

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Rachel sighed.

She looked around. No-one noticed.

She sighed again.

'Uh, Rach, are you deflating or something?' Finn asked, looking away from his conversation from a now peeved Quinn.

'No. I'm unhappy.'

'Sorry.'

'It's not your fault...' she glanced at Puck, who was looking at something on his cell.

'Oh...' Finn followed her eyeline. 'Well, he's sorry...'

'Somehow I don't think so.'

'Psh...' Came Pucks voice, barely audible from across the stage.

'Man, what happened this morning?' Finn asked.

'Nothing.' Rachel was quick to answer. 'Why would anything have happened?' She tried to laugh it off. 'In fact, so much nothing happened that I actually need to go speak to Puck now,' her eyes looked vengeful. Pucks display of indifference had really riled her. She got up and marched across the stage.

'Noah?' she started annoyedly. 'Can I speak to you please?'

'You already are.'

'Over there?' She was all too aware of the prying eyes of the rest of the club, so she pointed to a concealed spot by the emergency exit. 'Please?'

Puck glanced up from his all too intense game of tetris and inadvertently locked eyes with Finn, who was giving him a look that said "Talk to her, douchehead!"

'Alright!' he grunted and stood up before following her, casually flipping Finn the finger.

'Okay, Puck.' Rachel started once they were out of earshot of everyone else. 'Oh, hang on...' Her cell buzzed in her pocket. A text from Jacob? _Panties, before I do something stupid._ 'Idiot...' she muttered, ignoring it. 'Anyway, look, I know we're all stressed, and I appreciate that we all have different ways of dealing with stress; I myself like to go for a run or make some wheatgrass juice but everyone has something personal and although it is entirely feasible that acting like a jerk is your way of dealing with stress, I highly doubt that is it. So I suggest you find out what it is so you don't have to upset everyone else. You could go for a drive; bake something; visit some family?'

'Dude, we're stuck in here. Even if I wanted to I couldn't do any of those things. So excuse me for being a little on edge?'

'Puck, there's no need to be-'

'Oh my God!' Came Brittany's cry from across the stage. Everyone turned to face her urgently. She looked up from the book she had in her lap. 'This Shakespeare guy totally stole this from Taylor Swift!!'

Rachel stifled a laugh, but as Puck caught her eye, that cheeky smile on his face, she let out a splutter. At Rachel's laugh the rest of the gang started to titter, letting out their first smiles since the shooting scare had come to light.

Rachel bit her lip, trying to control herself, bowing her head so Puck didn't get her with that look. _That_ look. The one that suddenly made her want to throw all her manners over her shoulder and get high and have a good time forever and ever and ever and ever and woah! She was babbling in her head.

'Well, for what it's worth, I'm sorr-' Puck started earnestly but was cut off by the sound of keys jangling by the door.

'Keys?'

'Looks like we're getting out of this place.'

'Yeah, I guess so...' Rachel smiled but felt, oddly enough, disappointed that she hadn't gotten to know anyone better during their time.

'Thank God...' Puck hissed as the door swung open. Then he visibly deflated as Jacob Ben Israel walked in. 'Oh. It's you.'

'Yeah. It's me.' He wandered over to the front of the stage and addressed the rest of the Gleeks. 'You can all leave now, i-it's safe out there.' He watched as they departed. 'Wait! Rachel, can I talk to you for a moment?'

'Um... not really?' Rachel looked stuck.

'I really think you should.'

'Oh, um, okay...' Rachel looked at Puck, who was the only one left, glancing between the two. 'You can go.' She said. 'If you want to?'

'No, I wanna make sure no creepy shit goes on with this guy.' Puck answered. Jacob looked indifferent.

'Okay.'

Puck nodded and closed the door, walking over to where Rachel stood by Jacob.

'You didn't reply to my text.' Jacob said to Rachel, looking hurt.

'I never reply to your texts, Jacob, you know that.'

'Yes,' Jacob pulled a gun out of his jacket. 'I do fucking know that.'

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**Gasp! I expect some of you saw that coming. **

**And I'm not saying it's always the weird kids that get up to this stuff, or that I'm stereotyping Jacob but I didn't want to invent an OC and he just seemed to appear.**

**Next chapter is where it all... blows up. Heavily inspired by PUNK ROCK by SIMON STEPHENS.**

**Reviews rock my world.**

**Aaron Tveit rocks my bed.**

**Not really.**

**X**


	8. Chapter 8

**Boo. **

**I'm in two musicals and a play right now so I'm sorry that this took time.**

**Penultimate chapter, climax, etc, and it's actually quite scary I hope. Not like zombie-vampire-singing-Hannah-Montana scary, like proper scary =D**

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'Fuck...' Puck muttered, grabbing Rachel's arm and pulling her into him.

'Fuck indeed.' Jacob smiled. 'I have been looking for you all day Rachel. I should have known you'd be here. Your home turf.' He drew out the last three words, leering at Rachel. 'Get up on the stage...' She glanced up there doubtfully. 'Now.' He said the command softly, slipping the butt of the gun under her skirt and stroking the top of her thigh.

'Don't touch her,' Puck growled, grabbing her hand.

'Noah,' she whispered, 'Shh.' She tried to drop his hand to go up onstage but he held on, fearing that if he let go he would... let go.

'Fine, both of you,' Jacob muttered, watching the two of them go up. There was a heavy silence as the two of them stood centre stage, and Jacob started polishing the gun with his sleeve.

'Jacob -' Rachel started, crushed by the silence.

'I love you, Rachel Berry.' He cut her off immediately. 'I love your eyes, your lips, your... phenomenal body...' He took a moment to look her up and down, prompting Puck to step in front of her. He suddenly raised the gun to the pair. 'I'm sure you know how difficult it is to be in unrequited love, Rachel, everyone knows. But I know for a fact that Hal and David-' Rachel shivered at the fact that he knew her fathers' names. '-show you so much affection in the home. Yeah, I don't have that. At home there is next to no love and I thought - I _thought_ that I had found the woman who would love me back. Sweet, wonderful, kind Rachel Berry. But even her... no. You're the same as all the rest of them.' He aimed the gun. 'But worse.'

'Isra- Jacob, man, all this for a girl?' Puck started, cursing himself as soon as he felt himself speaking.

'What do you mean?' Jacob asked, lowering the weapon slightly.

'Look, man, I know why you're so freaky on her. I mean, she's hot - well, beautiful, and she's talented, and sort of an amazing person even if she is always riding the crazy train...' He cleared his throat. 'But isn't there like a better way to get over her than going all Mafia on our asses? If a girl rejected me, which really has never happened, but if it did I don't think I would deal with it like this. I'd, y'know... rent a chick flick or something?'

Rachel wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry as she listened to Puck speak. 'Jacob, please!' her voice came out in a broken sob. 'You have the chance to be the better person in this situation! Take it!' Jacob had started pacing around in the front row, shaking his head and seemingly muttering to himself as he sporadically raised and lowered the gun. He glanced up.

'I'm tired of talking about this.'

In one swift yet shaky movement he raised the gun and shot, partly blindly as the bullet soared past the pair, smashing a light at the back of the stage. Rachel screamed, clamping a hand over her mouth in a bid to stop herself but unable to quell the noise. Puck suddenly felt a burning in his stomach; the guys in video games make this getting shot stuff seem a lot funner. He reached behind himself and tried to make sure Rachel was completely behind him. His eyes left Jacob for a second as he tried to detect an escape for Rachel; that was what was important. However, that second turned out to be the second it happened. The bullet left the gun at no particular moment except that which happened to be the only moment Jacob built up a rage big enough.

It hit Puck square in the chest, sending him backwards into a numb Rachel, who went down on the stage with him as he crumpled in her lap. She let out a wordless scream of despair as the crimson began to stain Pucks tee, and suddenly it was only her and him in the world. She didn't see Jacob gasp at what he had just done and drop the gun, stammering excuses under his breath before wrapping his arms around himself and seeking refuge under the lighting desk. She didn't hear the police sirens wailing outside prompted by another shot. And she didn't feel anything except the weakening guy in her arms.

'Puck!' she placed a hand on his forehead and slipped his phone out of his pocket to call the police. 'I'm calling from William McKinley High... yes... he's away from the gun... an ambulance as well - urgently... Thank you.' She threw the phone down and grabbed Pucks letterman jacket from its place on the stage and pressed it down on the wound, trying to staunch the flow.

'Berry?' Pucks eyes started drifting closed. He slowly reached out and put a hand on hers that was holding the jacket down. 'I'm sorry...'

'Don't be sorry,' she said quickly, blushing as a tear rolled off her cheek and on to his face. 'Don't, just... stay awake. Keep your eyes open. Think about something. Anything, our new Glee number. Start thinking of formations. harmonies, concentrate, _stay awake..._'

'I wasn't lying,' Puck said between coughs, his voice weakening. 'When I was trying to talk to the maniac. You're pretty much incredible. Fucking... ace. I'm glad I knew you. And that song we did today wasn't completely gay.'

'Don't talk in the past tense, Puck, come on...' She leaned down and kissed his forehead. 'Just, focus,' she kissed his cheek. 'On me. On anything. Stay with it. Stay awake.' She quickly kissed him on the lips, at first a slightly hesitant peck but suddenly a deep, I-mean-it kiss. He tried to move his hand to stroke her cheek but found it painful to move. 'Don't move...' she whispered. 'I'm so sorry...' she sobbed, gently nuzzling his nose with hers. 'Noah?' His eyes flickered shut.

'I'm... I'm tired...' he said suddenly.

'Noah, don't sleep. Don't, please, for me...' She looked up suddenly as the auditorium doors burst open and a man in blue entered yelling 'Police!'

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**Shit.**

**Reviews are awesome. And I REALLY want your feedback from this chapter.**

**Please?**

**X**


	9. Chapter 9

**I'm sorry.**

**I really am.**

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'Noah!' Rachel half-whined, half-screamed as she chased after the dark-haired boy who had stolen her book. 'Give it baaaaaack!'

'Come and get it!' He turned and childishly stuck his tongue out at Rachel whilst brandishing the book. 'All you gotta do is catch me!'

'You're a Neanderthal!' she yelled after him. He paused for a second, wondering what that word she just called him meant, and inadvertently giving her the opportunity to jump on his back and tackle him to the ground, reclaiming her book. She gave him a self-satisfied smirk and made to hop up off him, but his hands slid round her waist, holding her in place as he flipped over so he was sitting on her legs.

'Noah! Get off me!' She tried to push him off but found his strength to be too much for her, as her attempts were fruitless.

'Say the magic word.'

'Please?'

'That's not the magic word.'

'Pretty please?'

'Uh-uh!'

'I don't know it!'

'It's "Puck's Awesome!"'

'That's two words!'

'Doesn't matter!'

'Of course it does!'

'No it doesn't!'

'Does too!'

'Does not!'

'Does too!'

'Does not!'

'Does too- Ah! Noah!' Rachel squirmed around giggling as Puck suddenly started tickling her mercilessly, cackling himself at the sound of her helpless laughs.

'Stop it!' she shrieked.

'Magic words!'

'Pucks – aaah! – Awesome!'

'Didn't hear you!'

'Pucks-'

'Children!' She was cut off. 'Children, time to go back in!' Their second grade teacher Miss. Ripley called out across the playground.

Seven year-olds Puck and Rachel got up, Rachel dusting herself off as Puck dutifully picked up her book from where she had dropped it.

'Here.'

'Thank you.' She looked at it. 'Noah?'

'Yeah?'

'We're always gonna be best friends, right?'

'Yeah. Even though you're a girl.'

'Good.'

They ran back into their classroom.

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'During our time locked in the auditorium I grew to know a few aspects of Puck's personality. There was the rude, obnoxious and slightly sexist Puck-' she let out a choked laugh – 'The kind of guy who would trample a crowd of ten year-olds if he thought any damage was going to be done to his guitar. But I also met another Puck, who, if he were with me right now would probably yell at me for questioning his badassness, but who was the kind of guy who would do... _anything _to protect the people he loved, and whose life revolved around music, and his friends and his family, not that he would ever tell anyone that.' She gulped and nervously smoothed her hair back. 'So I would like to invite the rest of the McKinley high Glee club to join me in a song to commemorate our fallen friend, Noah Puckerman.'

'Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes....'

Rachel tried hard to sing along with the rest of the club, she was supposed to be the strong one but her voice caught in her throat as her eyes locked on the dark wood coffin that was being carried out of the church upon the shoulders of six of Pucks relatives.

'How do.... measure...' she shook her head, unable to make a worthwhile noise come out. Leaving the rest of the club onstage she hurried after the coffin as it was carried to the open grave a few feet from the church.

'Can I... have a moment please?' she asked the six relatives quietly. One nodded solemnly and they filed back into the church.

Rachel gently placed a hand atop the coffin. 'I'm sorry, Puck.' She started. God, he would make fun of her for that. 'I mean... thank you.' She could almost hear his mocking voice now. 'I mean... it was totally badass.'

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**I had no idea how to end it.**

**Thanks SO MUCH to everyone who reviewed and stuff, this has been awesome to write!**

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**XX**


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